Narrative:

After receiving clearance, I started my aircraft and contacted ground. This was my first time at dsm, so when ground responded, I requested progressive taxi to the active runway 13. The ground controller responded 'right on taxiway B, right on taxiway D.' I repeated this to the controller and proceeded to taxi. Using progressive taxi at unfamiliar airports in the past, I knew the ground controller would be keeping his eye on me and provide step-by-step directions where to turn as I went along. Not this time. As I was taxiing on taxiway B, I was going slow and looking for taxiway D and also waiting for help from ground. The next thing I knew, I looked to my left and then to my right and I saw an aircraft on touchdown to my right and I began to stop, at the same time the ground controller said 'stop.' I did stop and approximately 30 seconds later, the controller said 'do a 180 degree turn and turn left on taxiway D, first intersection.' I repeated this to the controller and followed his instructions. I did not hear anything more about this situation until I was in the air still on tower frequency, they gave me a phone number and asked if I would contact the operations supervisor at my destination. Why did this happen? I realize that I am the PIC and am responsible for everything that occurs. I also need to use good judgement. In asking ground control on the initial call for progressive taxi, I see this as good judgement in the best interest of safety at an unfamiliar airport. Ground control did not do their job! In addition, there was no taxiway D sign that was obvious to see from taxiway B. If I would have seen taxiway D, I would have turned right. If I would have seen a hold line, I would not have crossed it. Why didn't I see the hold line? This has to be contributed to the rain on my windshield and there was also a yellow work truck off my right side that was coming closer to me as I was also paying attention to him. When I contacted the operations supervisor approximately XD45Z, he apologized that the ground controller was not keeping an eye on me. He said the ground controller was communicating with another aircraft and did not notice what was happening with me until I crossed the hold line. The supervisor also said this was a hot spot and there have been other events in the same area. As the controllers having knowledge of this being a hot spot and a pilot asking for progressive taxi, they should have been really paying attention to my aircraft! First of all, pilots need to recognize that controllers are human to and are subject to making mistakes. Pilots need to understand that txwys are much wider at international airports than their hometown airport. Sometimes so wide that they could almost land in the width of the taxiway. Pilots need to understand that the taxiway signage is not always where they think it should be. And if any doubt at all stop right where you are and ask. Pilots need to understand that the airport diagram that they should have in front of them when taxiing may not be a true representation of what is really before them. Ground controllers need to understand that pilots that ask for progressive taxi may be a little intimidated about their airport and really do need to be led by the hand until they are in a safe haven. Ground controllers need to watch these pilots every step of the way. It appears in a situation like the one I encountered, the ground controller assumed I knew the way. Wrong assumption -- that's why I asked for progressive taxi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION WHEN A C206 PLT CROSSES THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 13 ON TXWY B AT DSM, IA.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC, I STARTED MY ACFT AND CONTACTED GND. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME AT DSM, SO WHEN GND RESPONDED, I REQUESTED PROGRESSIVE TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY 13. THE GND CTLR RESPONDED 'R ON TXWY B, R ON TXWY D.' I REPEATED THIS TO THE CTLR AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI. USING PROGRESSIVE TAXI AT UNFAMILIAR ARPTS IN THE PAST, I KNEW THE GND CTLR WOULD BE KEEPING HIS EYE ON ME AND PROVIDE STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS WHERE TO TURN AS I WENT ALONG. NOT THIS TIME. AS I WAS TAXIING ON TXWY B, I WAS GOING SLOW AND LOOKING FOR TXWY D AND ALSO WAITING FOR HELP FROM GND. THE NEXT THING I KNEW, I LOOKED TO MY L AND THEN TO MY R AND I SAW AN ACFT ON TOUCHDOWN TO MY R AND I BEGAN TO STOP, AT THE SAME TIME THE GND CTLR SAID 'STOP.' I DID STOP AND APPROX 30 SECONDS LATER, THE CTLR SAID 'DO A 180 DEG TURN AND TURN L ON TXWY D, FIRST INTXN.' I REPEATED THIS TO THE CTLR AND FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS. I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THIS SIT UNTIL I WAS IN THE AIR STILL ON TWR FREQ, THEY GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER AND ASKED IF I WOULD CONTACT THE OPS SUPVR AT MY DEST. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? I REALIZE THAT I AM THE PIC AND AM RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING THAT OCCURS. I ALSO NEED TO USE GOOD JUDGEMENT. IN ASKING GND CTL ON THE INITIAL CALL FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI, I SEE THIS AS GOOD JUDGEMENT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF SAFETY AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT. GND CTL DID NOT DO THEIR JOB! IN ADDITION, THERE WAS NO TXWY D SIGN THAT WAS OBVIOUS TO SEE FROM TXWY B. IF I WOULD HAVE SEEN TXWY D, I WOULD HAVE TURNED R. IF I WOULD HAVE SEEN A HOLD LINE, I WOULD NOT HAVE CROSSED IT. WHY DIDN'T I SEE THE HOLD LINE? THIS HAS TO BE CONTRIBUTED TO THE RAIN ON MY WINDSHIELD AND THERE WAS ALSO A YELLOW WORK TRUCK OFF MY R SIDE THAT WAS COMING CLOSER TO ME AS I WAS ALSO PAYING ATTN TO HIM. WHEN I CONTACTED THE OPS SUPVR APPROX XD45Z, HE APOLOGIZED THAT THE GND CTLR WAS NOT KEEPING AN EYE ON ME. HE SAID THE GND CTLR WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ANOTHER ACFT AND DID NOT NOTICE WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH ME UNTIL I CROSSED THE HOLD LINE. THE SUPVR ALSO SAID THIS WAS A HOT SPOT AND THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER EVENTS IN THE SAME AREA. AS THE CTLRS HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THIS BEING A HOT SPOT AND A PLT ASKING FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY PAYING ATTN TO MY ACFT! FIRST OF ALL, PLTS NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT CTLRS ARE HUMAN TO AND ARE SUBJECT TO MAKING MISTAKES. PLTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT TXWYS ARE MUCH WIDER AT INTL ARPTS THAN THEIR HOMETOWN ARPT. SOMETIMES SO WIDE THAT THEY COULD ALMOST LAND IN THE WIDTH OF THE TXWY. PLTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE TXWY SIGNAGE IS NOT ALWAYS WHERE THEY THINK IT SHOULD BE. AND IF ANY DOUBT AT ALL STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE AND ASK. PLTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE ARPT DIAGRAM THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE IN FRONT OF THEM WHEN TAXIING MAY NOT BE A TRUE REPRESENTATION OF WHAT IS REALLY BEFORE THEM. GND CTLRS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT PLTS THAT ASK FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI MAY BE A LITTLE INTIMIDATED ABOUT THEIR ARPT AND REALLY DO NEED TO BE LED BY THE HAND UNTIL THEY ARE IN A SAFE HAVEN. GND CTLRS NEED TO WATCH THESE PLTS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. IT APPEARS IN A SIT LIKE THE ONE I ENCOUNTERED, THE GND CTLR ASSUMED I KNEW THE WAY. WRONG ASSUMPTION -- THAT'S WHY I ASKED FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.